Monday, June 2, 2008

Fun Monday



Karisma is hosting Fun Monday this week and this is what she has to say:

The topic for Fun Monday this week is......


I MADE IT MYSELF!


I think the title pretty much says it all, but for those of you who may still be wondering, I would like to see or hear about things you have made with your own two hands (or feet, I'm not fussy!) We all have different talents and abilities, maybe you like to sew or knit, chisel or sculpt, draw or paint? Whatever your talent is, please share it with us this week.


Da Rules.....

Well there are not any really! But you know, we all know that you made your kids so lets NOT choose them this time. (After all you did not make them with your hands or feet did you?)

And for those of you who are freaking out because you make "everything" with your hands, how about you just choose a few of your favourites!)

Those of you who are freaking out because "You never make things with your hands". Get off your lazy butt and make something! You have four days.....now get to it! (You could always bake a cake!) The possibilities are endless!

If you would like to join up, leave me a comment and I will add you to the list! (If you have more than one blog, please leave a link too! Cheers!) are about things you have made with your own two hands (or feet, I'm not fussy!) We all have different talents and abilities, maybe you like to sew or knit, chisel or sculpt, draw or paint? Whatever your talent is, please share it with us this week.


I've made a lot of different things over the years. I knit, crochet, paint and make jewelry. I've made stained glass and art prints. I love to cook, and have a cooking blog, with some original recipes.

One of my favorite memories is making Blackberry Jam while we were camping near Sedona, in Oak Creek Canyon. We were there for a month, in August of 1977. Our daughters were 7 and 9. We were camping on our trailer, not really roughing it in a tent.



I hadn't planned on making Blackberry Jam. We weren't prepared for it, at all. But when I found blackberries ready to be picked, tons of wonderful, ripe blackberries, I couldn't resist. We were down in the canyon picking blackberries by the bucketfuls, and the rattlesnakes were rattling away; warning us of their presence. Bob ascended to the top of the canyon shouting, Be Careful, Get Away, Come Up Here; you know warning things.




I was determined and used a stick to keep the rattlers at bay; and got all the blackberries I needed, and a few extra. After gathering the fruit, we had to go into town to buy canning jars, sugar and pectin; I had a large dutch oven for cooking. When we got back to camp we proceeded to make a huge batch of jam.

While the cooking was going on, our camping neighbors wandered over to our campsite to see what the wonderful smell was, and what we were doing. When we were finished and the jam was cooling, it was fun to hear the pop, pop, pop of the Ball canning lids sealing. We ate this camp-made jam for a couple of years.

This brought back wonderful memories of camping with my Dad and Mom in the Redwoods. Many summers, in August, as a youngster we would tent camp, and we always made Blackberry Jam. August is Blackberry Jam making time.

CREDITS: Most photos are from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) botany gopher. The large Texas pink blackberry flower, and its associated berries, were photographed by J.R. Manhart, for the TAMU Botany Department Herbarium image gallery, and National Geographic.

19 comments:

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

"A stick to keep the rattlers away".......good grief, you wouldn't have seen me for dust! Are you quite mad!?

ChrisB said...

You wouldn't have seen me for dust if I could hear rattlers!
I also posted about jam making but I cannot imagine making it on a camp site. I must say it does sound like fun and you are obviously a much better jam maker than I am!

Hootin Anni said...

I HATE snakes!!!!!!

But, well, I like blackberries!! I think I'd ask someone else to pick them...THEN make the preserves.


Happy Fun Monday.

Joy T. said...

My favorite jam in all the world is blackberry jam. But no way in a million years would you find me amongst the rattlers to get to those berries! And I've camped many years ago now but I can't even imagine canning anything while I was camping LOL That is so great, I bet all your fellow campers were jealous!

Anonymous said...

I am so impressed.

Let's see, you fought off a rattler (not to mention those nasty thorns) to make jam...while you were out CAMPING?? You totally rock!

Anonymous said...

Jan, I love to cook too and I am going to try some of your recipes, I saw some yummy looking soups and I love to try new recipes. thanks for sharing

Hula Girl at Heart said...

I too like listening to the jars pop when they seal. However, there would be no jam at my house if I had to wade through rattlers to get to the berries.

Jientje said...

What a great memory, I love making jam myself, but I never eat enough of it, I have a cupboard full of it now!
Have a great week!

storyteller said...

Yum … blackberry jam is delicious … especially when homemade. I have a friend in Northern California with whom I’ve picked these berries and made jam too … but it’s a LOT of work! I can’t imagine doing it while CAMPING however. Isn’t Sedona gorgeous? It’s wise to pay attention to those ‘rattler warnings’.

My Fun Monday post is at Small Reflections. Hopefully Blogger will cooperate for visits.
Hugs and blessings,

Jo Beaufoix said...

Wow, I have never made jam. I am so impressed and I bet it was gorgeous. The rattlers would have scared me off
though. Shivers.

Sauntering Soul said...

I'm not even brave enough to buy blackberries at the grocery store and attempt to make jam at home (I fear it would be a massive failure). And yet you fight off rattlesnakes and make jam at a camp site? I bow down to you!

Pamela said...

I don't know if I like blackberry jam well enough to face rattlesnakes.
You're a trooper.

(and in a travel trailer no less!)

Sayre said...

What an amazing camping memory! I'll be that lives larger than life in your kids' memories too.

Molly said...

If you had to keep rattlers at bay, I hope that the balckberry jam was delicious. Of course, blackberries are mighty tasty.

Heather said...

This was such a fun post! I love how the other campers wandered over to see what you were making. How cool to make it right at your campsite!

Faye said...

Campfire blackberry jam? Who knew? Your post certainly reminded me of how wonderful blackberries and sugar smell when cooking together. Our family also picked blackberries and made jam.

IamwhoIam said...

yum good stuff and made in camp even better.

Alison said...

what a wonderful memory Jan...you are definitely much braver than I am, the rattlers would have kept me away!!!

karisma said...

Oh MY! Karisma bows down to your braveness! Now me, I would have been heading for the hills pronto, like yesterday even! Arghhhh! I hope the jam was worth it!

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